NORTHUMBERLAND

"The most northerly county of England. It
lies next to Scotland, on the German Ocean, and is bounded by Durham and
Cumberland. It extends about 70 miles in length, and 50 in breadth; and
contains 12 market towns, and 460 parishes. The air is not so cold as might be
imagined from the latitude in which it lies; and the snow seldom lies long in
Northumberland, except on the tops of the hills, some of which are above 2000
feet high. The soil is various; the eastern part being fruitful, having very
good wheat and most sorts of corn, with rich meadows on the banks of the
rivers; but the western part is generally barren, it being mostly heathy and
mountainous. It yields lead; and is one of the most productive and best
coal-fields in England. Iron and glass-works are its principal manufactories;
and it has some fisheries. This county is well watered by rivers, the principal
of which are the Tyne, Tweed, and Coquet. Alnwick is the county-town, but the
largest and richest is Newcastle. Population, 250,278. It returns 8 members to
parliament." [From Barclay's Complete and Universal English Dictionary,
1842]

The GENUKI Gazetteer covers the whole of England, Wales and Scotland and can be
searched by place-name (or part of a place-name) or Ordnance Survey Grid
References (six-figure, eg NZ183848). If there are multiple place-names
matching the name you enter, you will initially be presented with a drop-down
list of the matching place-names with their distances and bearings from Morpeth,
Northumberland.

Search the place index for the 1891 census.

The index includes "Registration District", "Registration Sub-district", "Place",
"PRO Piece Number" and "LDS Film Number". Enter the place-name in the text-box
and press the "Search" Button.

Tyne and Wear Archives'
User
Guide 9 "summarises the more important administrative, financial and
clinical records of local hospitals, sanatoria and specialised medical
institutions. In part 2 it lists records produced by hospital boards and
committees, and in parts 3 and 4 details of Medical and Nursing Associations,
and personal papers respectively. This guide does not include information about
sources for public health".

Cholera Inquiry
Commission Report 1854. On 31st December 1853 a commission was established
to inquire "into the causes which have led to, or have aggravated, the late
outbreak of Cholera in the towns of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead and
Tynemouth." And on 15th July 1854 the commission presented this report.

A list of subscribers to the relief
fund which was set up following an accident at Cullercoats in 1848 in which
five fishermen were drowned. The list includes many Tyneside businessmen and
nobility.

Anyone researching a JOHNSON/JOHNSTON/JOHNSTONE ancestor can
get help and advice on their research by joining the
Clan Johnston/Johnstone
Association (UK), which has its headquarters in the North-East.

Search the North
East Inheritance database provided by Durham University. This is a catalogue
of pre-1858 wills proved by Durham Diocesan Court - this covers Northumberland
(excluding Hexham and Hexhamshire, and Thockrington), Tyne and Wear, Co Durham,
Crayke (Yorkshire), Alston (Cumberland) plus Northallerton and some surrounding
townships in Yorkshire (known as Allerton and Allertonshire).

The Northern Police Orphanage
at St George's House, Otley Road, Harrogate looked after children of police
families, mostly from North-East England. It was founded by Catherine Gurney in 1898
and closed in 1956. The first admission was Minnie Smith from Sunderland.

The
Northumberland
and Durham Family History Society. (The society publishes a quarterly
journal, and meets at Gateshead, Durham, Hexham, Newcastle, Fenwick, Blyth, South
Shields,
and Sunderland, and has a London Branch which meets at the Society of
Genealogists.)

The Felton and Swarland Local History Society: Membership
enquiries
should be sent to:- Membership enquiries should be sent to:- Mrs Eleanor Hall, Lion
House, Main Street, Felton, Morpeth,
Northumberland NE65 9PT or to eleanorhall468@btinternet.com

The Northumberland Poll Book of 1826 - Published on CD by
S
& N Genealogy Supplies.
This publication is searchable and gives the full name of the voter, their area
of residence, freehold property and the way they voted. (Please note that
the Northumberland Poll Book does not include the Borough of Newcastle upon
Tyne and that only the property-owning classes were entitled to vote).